Rail joint and bond



C. L. CARLSSON. RAIL J OINT. AND sown.

, APPLICATION FILED AUG-13,19I9- I 1,883,074, Patented June 28, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- I flit 6772 0)" al 'afzsso'n).

- C. L. CABLSSON. RAH. JOINT AND BOND. I APPLICATION .FILED AUG= I3.1919.

Patented June 28, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

CHARLES L. CABLSSON, 0F IVCRYTOCN', CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

RAIL JOINT AND BOND.

Patented June 28, 1921.

Application filed August 13, 1919. Serial No. 317,261.

To all w from it may concern Be it known that 1, Cinemas L. CABLSSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Ivoryton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Rail Joints and Bonds, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improved rail joint and bond and has as oneof its principal objects to provide a joint which will reduce poundingof the rail ends.

The invention has as a further object to provide a joint which willreduce wear upon the rail ends aswell as wear upon the wheels of rollingstock.

A further object of the invention is to provide a joint wherein anefl'ective electrical connection will be formed between the rail ends.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a jointemploying a rigid bond coupling but wherein vertical and lateralmovement of the rail ends relative to each other cannot serve to molestelectrical con nection between the rails.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of my improved joint,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the joint,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, the rail bond being removed, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view particularlyillustrating the rail bond.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, meeting rails areindicated at 10 and 11 respectively. At their adjacent ends, each railtread is cut away at opposite sides thereof to provide notches 12 and 13respectively, the notch 12 being somewhat shorter than the notch 13 and,as will be observed, the notch 12 in each rail tread registers with thenotch 13 in the other rail tread. Consequently, the recesses thus formedare staggered with respect to each other and preferably said notches areformed with beveled end walls. Between the registering notches 12 and 13are defined alined tongues 14, these tongues being in reality acontinuation of the rail webs and at their upper edges forming acontinuation of the tread surface of the rails.

Coacting with the end portions of the rails are fish plates 15 notchedat their outer edges to receive spikes in the usual manner. These fishplates are, as particularly illustrated in Fig. 3, provided with baseflanges 16 which extend beneath the rail ends while the vertical flanges17 of said plates lie in spaced relation to the rail webs at oppositesides thereof. Formed on the flanges 17 at points substantially midwaybetween the ends of the plates are tread blocks 18 rising from the upperedges of said flanges. These tread blocks are received within therecesses formed by the registering notches 12 and 13 at the rail endsand are shaped to conform to the contour of the treads of the rails soas to provide a continuation thereof. As best illustrated in Fig. 1, thetread blocks 18 are provided with beveled ends lying in spaced parallelrelation to the beveled end walls of said notches. Extending through theflanges 17 of the fish plates and through the rail webs are spaced bolts19 securing the fish plates in position and connecting the rail ends. Aswill be seen, these bolts will serve to rigidly clamp the tread blocks18 against the tongues 14 at the ends of the rails so that a firmconnection will be formed between the rails and a smooth tread surfacepresented to the wheels of rolling stock passing over the rails.Furthermore, as will be noted, ample space is provided between the treadblocks and the end walls of the notches 12 and 13 to compensate forexpansion and contraction of the rails and the rail ends are similarlyslightly spaced apart. In this connection particular attention isdirected to the fact that in providing the tongues 14; but a relativelyshort gap is formed between the ends of these tongues atthe treadsurface of the rails and this gap is located centrally of said surfaceand between the tread blocks 18. Consequently, these tread blocks willsupport the wheels of rolling stock to pass over said gap withoutpounding against the rail ends or wear of the wheels. I accordinglyprovide a very effective type of rail joint.

Formed through each of the flanges 17 of the fish plates is a pair ofopenings 20 lying at opposite sides of the joint between the rails.Opposite these openings, contacts 21 are secured to the rail webs and attheir opposite corresponding ends these contacts are formed with flatheads 22. The contacts are preferably non-corrosive and may beconstructed of any approved material. Mounted upon the flange 17 of oneof the fish plates is a bonding yoke 23 providedwith parallel bosses orarms 24 snugly fitting within the openings of said plates. The arms arehollow and are formedat their inher ends with substantiallyhemispherical contact seats 25 having concavo convex bot tom walls '26through which are formed openings 27. Formed to fit'the seats 20' vengage at its inner end with said flangeis a stud bolt 30. In thisconnection, it should be observed that the flanges of both of the platesare each provided with a pair of the openings 20 and are also'formedwith an intermediate opening to receive the bolt 30 so that the fishplates are thus made interchangeable. Threaded upon the outer endportion of this, bolt is a nut 31 and surrounding the bolt to bearbetween said nut and the yoke is a spring 32 acting against the yoke 'toconstantly and forcibly urge the fiat faces of the contacts 28 intoengagement with the adjacent fiat heads 22 of the contacts '21.Effective electrical connection between the a-rails will thus beprovided and in this connection it is to be particularly observed thatsince the contacts 28*are mounted to rock within their seats 25,relative vertical or lateral movement of the rail ends cannot serve tobreak the electrical-contact between the elements '22 and 28 since thelatter elements will shift to compensate for such movement of the railends. The rails will thus always be effectively bonded."

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new' is: I

' In a rail joint rails each having a tread portion provided at onesidewith a notch and at the opposite side with a longer notch, the notcheshaving correspondingly beveled end walls and the long notch of each railfacing the short'notch of the other rail to define recesses atoppositesides of the rails, and fish plates connecting the rails and havingbase. flanges engaging therebeneatl1,'tl1e fish plates having verticalflanges confronting'the rail Webs in spaced relation thereto and beingformed medially of the plateswith upstanding tread blocks fitting insaid recesses'providing a continuation of the rail treads and "havingbeveled ends confronting the beveled end walls of the recesses in spacedparallel relation. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES L; CARLSSON; [1 s.]

